I am trying to clean a friend's HP laptop. Running WinXP Home SP3. Last order of business is removing AdwareAlert.exe -boot which keeps trying to run on start-up. I am using WinPatrol and have eliminated it from the Startup folder, as well as emptied the Registry of every instance of AdwareAlert.exe, adware, ad-warealert.exe, etc. I used KillBox to delete the various entries, and used a shareware utility (Spywarescan) to find the program but it would not remove unless I paid. Are there any FREE utilities to get rid of this software?

[ System Events ]Error - 5/20/2009 10:25:29 AM | Computer Name = CPQ88851404613 | Source = Service Control Manager | ID = 7001Description = The DHCP Client service depends on the NetBios over Tcpip service which failed to start because of the following error: %%31

Error - 5/20/2009 10:25:29 AM | Computer Name = CPQ88851404613 | Source = Service Control Manager | ID = 7001Description = The TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper service depends on the AFD Networking SupportEnvironment service which failed to start because of the following error: %%31

Error - 5/20/2009 10:25:29 AM | Computer Name = CPQ88851404613 | Source = Service Control Manager | ID = 7001Description = The IPSEC Services service depends on the IPSEC driver service whichfailed to start because of the following error: %%31

I go by Hoov, and I will be helping you with your problem. I must ask you to do a few things for me.

First, tell me everything that you have done, if anything, to try and fix this problem.

Second, please only use 1 forum to help clear up your problem. Posting on more than 1 and following instructions from more than 1 forum will cause those helping you to pull out thier hair.

Third, follow my instructions - If you can't for some reason, or if you don't understand something, please tell me. If you deviate from my instructions, tell me, it may make a difference on where we go.

Fourth, Have faith. I will do all I can to get your computer working, and if I can't - someone else here will know something else to try.

Yes, after a reboot the AdwareAlert program attempted to start. Just to be clear, I am sure you realize after reviewing my installed programs that due to WinPatrol being installed, Scotty (the barking dog) alerts me to AdwareAlet.exe every 2-3 minutes that a new autostart program is trying to initiate. If I turn WinPatrol "off", I am not alerted to AdwareAlert trying to autostart.

The registry entry was restored, so we need to do something else. I have seen before where TeaTimer has restored deleted registry entries. So first we need to reset Teatimer.

To reset TeaTimer so that it does not remember any previous entries:

1. Edit the entries that TeaTimer uses to automatically "Allow" or "Deny" changes that were based on the use of "Remember this decision" as follows:

* Right click on the TeaTimer system tray icon and select Settings. This will bring up TeaTimer's "White & Black List". There are four (4) Buttons across the top of the "White & Black List": o Allowed processes o Blocked processes o Allowed registry changes o Blocked registry changes

Note: If you don't see all four buttons, try expanding the window to the right.

* The entries that you should review are in "Allowed registry changes" and "Blocked registry changes". You can delete entries by clicking on the scripted black "X" to the right of the entry that you want to delete and then clicking the "OK" button when you're done. This will in effect make TeaTimer forget what you told it to remember so that during future changes to these items TeaTimer will issue a pop-up dialog rather then just a notification pop-up.

2. Reset TeaTimers snapshot files:

* TeaTimer takes snapshots of Registry entries and compares these with the Registry at startup. Until these snapshots are updated you are likely to get pop-ups (at startup) of changes you made in the past. In other words, TeaTimer attempts to return the Registry to the state it was in when the snapshot was taken. This happens primarily when you reboot the system. To refresh TeaTimer's snapshot files: o Right click Spybot's TeaTimer System Tray Icon > click Exit Spybot-S&D Resident. + TeaTimer closes. + TeaTimer's snapshot files are refreshed at this time. o Restart TeaTimer: + Using Windows Explorer, navigate to C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy. + Double click TeaTimer.exe to start it.

Now follow the second runscanner instructions with this new runscanner file. Reboot after it runs, and let me know if AdAwareAlert tries to start again.

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If I am helping you and you don't hear from me for 24Hrs, send me a PM Please!

C:\Explorer.exe: not presentC:\WINDOWS\Explorer\Explorer.exe: not presentC:\WINDOWS\System\Explorer.exe: not presentC:\WINDOWS\System32\Explorer.exe: not presentC:\WINDOWS\Command\Explorer.exe: not presentC:\WINDOWS\Fonts\Explorer.exe: not present

Command line options: /verbose - to add additional info on each section /complete - to include empty sections and unsuspicious data /full - to include several rarely-important sections /force9x - to include Win9x-only startups even if running on WinNT /forcent - to include WinNT-only startups even if running on Win9x /forceall - to include all Win9x and WinNT startups, regardless of platform /history - to list version history only

This laptop belongs to a 62 year-old woman who is not computer saavy. I am assisting her and the only program that fits your definition of monitoring the registry would be Spybot's Teatimer. Should I uninstall Spybot (and Teatimer), try and delete AdwareAlert, manually kill the Registry key for the AdwareAlert autorun, and then reinstall Spybot?